Wheel.



PATENTED FEB. 14, QG.

P.V P. HEIN.

WHEEL.

armonica rum 001:31, 190gv Y ddii UNITED STATES Patented February i4.i905.

PATENT OFFICE.

PETER F. HEIN, OF CROVVNPOINT, iNDIANA, ASSIGNOR F ONEiiAlQF TO M'ALTERL. DODD, OF lVESTVILLE, INDIANA.

WHEEL.

SPECIFIAHON farming part af Letters Patent ne. 782,336, dated February14, 1905.

i. :fifi Application lilerl October 31, 1904. Serial No. 230,797.

To falli whom, it may concern:

Bc it known thatlI, PETER F. HEIN, a citt zen of the UnitedStates,resdinglet Crown.- -pon't, in the-county of, Lake and State of Indiana,hare .invented certain new and useful Improvementsfin .,lfllieels, ofwhich the foilowing is a speeiiicetion.

T he object oifmy invention is to provide a wheel of improvedconstruction which, while it isespecinlly designed -'for u e onantoniobilcs, may-be used .to advantage on any vehicie.

My wheel is adapted to supersede pneumatie-tired wheels and wheelshaving springs in or neer their peripheries. 1'5 Asis wellknownq A,thereis need for an elastic running-.gear for automobiles especiallv, sincewith arrigid; runningfgear on an or inary road the jar is detrimental tothe motive mechanism. Thile the pneumatic tire is now in general use,such Vtires are unsatisfactory, because they are expensive to purchase,expensive to keep in repair, and of-short and uncertain durability.Another class of strainrelieving wheels has a. small series'ofcomparatively strong springs' in the wheel-hub, and thus provides anelastic support for the vehicle composcdpf a small number of parts, allof which being heavy are n'ot readily displaced or broken. It is to thisclass that my invention relates.

ln carrying out my invention I provide nn axle-skein mountednon-rotativeLv on the axle and surrounded by a sleevewhich shuts Yngninst n d ish rigid with the axle-skein nt its inner end. andtheslecve is a pluralitjv of springs, and on its outer surface thesleeve carries n ring which supports the tire of the wheel. On the outerend of the axle and retained by n nut is a disk which holds the sleeveand tire-supporting ring in position. Rigid with the tire-supportingring is a holt which extends through radial slots in both disks andpermits of radial movement of the wheel-tire 45 relatively to the axlewhile preventing n rotary movement independently thereof. (if course ifthe wheel is not to he used on thc 'driving-axle the nxle :md theaxle-skein will be rot-ativeiy connected.

interposed between the axleskein Fig. i, showing 4the arrangement of thesprings and the location of the driving-holt.

n I g u v s Fig. 4 is n section teken on the lane 4 -1 ol Fig. L "showngthe non-circular section of the .axle and means for attaching the axlcnskein thereto.l Fig. 5 is a view, part in section and part inelevation,showing e modification adapted for use when the wheel io revolveindependentl)v 0i' the axle, Fig. G'is a section on the line 6 6 ofFigi. showing 65 the means fcattaching the outer disk to the axleskeinwhen the wheel is to he so used.

The driving-axle A, Fig. l, is noncirculur in cross-section,corresponding.r with the opening in an axle-skein B, to which it isfastened o by e bolt C passing therethrough. The axle- Yskein has,prefernblyintegrnl therewith nt its inner eniL'ndshv andern-ries on itsouter surfaces. series of. springs l), which extend therefrom radiallyand whose outer ends rest 7 against the inner surface of n sleeve E,which abuis against the dish and about which is vplaced ntire-.supporting ring F, which also Ashuts against the dish L. VThesleeve und tirosupnorting rinir nre held against the dish L So and fromlateral displacement hy means of a disk (i, which has anun-circularaperture at its center engaging the correspondiniflyfcrniedend of theaxle, so the! it sind the :axle are deprived of independent rotarymovement. This disk is held close against the axleshcin, sleeve, andtire-supporting ring unil from lateral displacement h v :i nut u on theouter exil-emits of the nxle. When thi` disk (i is removed, thetire-:supporting ring l" umy 9o he removed without disurrunging orlisphicing the springs D. A strong holt ll, attached tothetire-supporting ring F, extends through the rndiul slots in the disks l:1nd ll und looksthom from independent rotary movement o5 ivhih'allowing of relative radial nmveiuvm. illus ,giving full play to thi`vhnliv tendency of the springs D.

When rotary motion is lumai-ted tutlmdriving-axle A, itis evident thatthe axle-skein B and disk (i will he rotated und that the sleeve lil,through the springs l), will be caused to rotate. 'lllrough the bolt ll,which locks (ln.- disks l and G to the ti rie-supporting ring F, thesaid ring and tire will be rotated, thus prc pelling the vehicle. .Thetire-supporting ring F is not held from radial movement, since theboltll, to which itis attached, is mounted in radial slots in the disks(i and b, andthe sleeve E is held from radial movement only by thecompression of the series of springs D, -which are of such strength thatthey readily gi ve to the inequalities of the road. y

To adapt my wheel for use in the ordinary way on any vehicle, itis'necessary onlyr to have a circular axle A' and provide acorrespending circular passageway through the axle-skein `B, in whichevent the outer disk G will be mounted on the outer end of theaxleskein, which should be made, preferably, noncircular in section, asclearly shown in Figs. 5 and. 6.

It will be seen that I have provided a compact simple device, readilyaccessible for cleaning and repairing and well.' protected froxndust anddirt.

,I claim as my nvention- 1. The combination of a shoulder-axle, anaxle-,skein thereon bearing atits'inner end against said shoulder, alaterally-projecting flange b at the inner end of the axle-skein, a iskGr mounted on the "txle and bearing against the outerend of theaxle-skein, a nut on the axle for holding the disk against theaxle-skein, a sleeve surrounding the axle, and held in position betweenthe disks and G, springs interposed between the sleeve and theVaxle-skein, a tire-supporting ring, fitted hetween the disks b and Gand adapted to move transversely of the axle between said disks and 'abolt secured to the tire-supporting ring and ex tending through radialslots in the disks whereby the tire-supporting ring is made to revolvewiththe axle-skein but is free to move radially relatively thereto.

2. A wheel comprising an axle-skein, provided with alaterally-projecting Harige or disk l' near its inner end, spiralsprings loosely :ittnched to the axle-skein and arranged radiallyrelatively thereto, a sleeve surrolnnling the springs and looselyconnected with the springs, a tire-sn pporting ring looselysuwoundingthe sleeve, a disk the disk or flange l the sleeve and ring :irc heldagainst axial displacement and a holt l-i attached to the ring andloosely engaging radial .slots in the disks I) and G and a nut on theaxle for holding the outer disk in place.

3. The combination of ashouldcred axle, zin axle-skein secured to theaxle and bearing against said shoulder, a laterally-projecting flange ordisk I on the axle-skein, a disk (ion the outer end outer end of theaxle-skein, a. nut on the axle for holding `said disk G in place, asleeve E surrounding the axle-skein, adapted to nieve radially towardand from the axle but held against endwise movement.- by the disks b andG, radially-arranged spiralsprings interposed between the axle-skein andsaid sleeve, a tire- Supportin-g ring F surrounding the sleeve andadapted at times to rotate about said sleeve and which bears directlyagainst the disks L and G by which it is held from endwise dis`placement and devices for connecting said ring with the disks wherebythe ring is caused to rotate with the disks, substantially as described.

4. The combination of an axle, an axle-skein permanently connectedtherewith, and having a laterally-projecting flange or disk l, a disk Gon the'outer end of the axle hearing against the end of the axle-skein,a sleeve surrounding the axle-skein and interposed between the disks andG, springs interposed between the sleevel and the axle-skein, atiressupporting ring surrounding the sleeve and held between the disks Land Gr and which is movable end wise relatively to the sleeve when thedisk (i is detached In testimony' whereof l have hereiinto suhscribed myname.

PETER F. HEIN. Witnesses:

l). C. BrrzeR, )'rro Snnnaeen.

of the axle bearing against the (fi on thc axle I :eliween which and f

